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Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch wrote short stories, novels,criticism, and edited anthologies, including the "Oxford Book"series. He was Assistant Editor of the Liberal weekly "TheSpeaker," and from 1912 until his death was Professor of English atCambridge University. Writing under the pen name "Q," Sir Arthurproduced a variety of work, including adventure stories, historicalfiction, satire, stories of the supernatural, and mysteries. "OldFires and Profitable Ghosts" is a collection of stories aboutrevenants: people who in spirit or body revisit old scenes, returnto old bodies, or give a message from beyond. They have a varietyof inspirations, including a sketch by Hawthorne, real lifeexperiences of two St. Ives men in the early 1800s, history, andfact. "Once Aboard the Lugger" is itself a revenant, being an earlyform of a tale later rewritten as "Ia." These stories showcase Q'sability with the supernatural.
Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts Preface
The stories in this book are of revenants: persons who either in spirit or in body revisit old scenes, return upon old selves or old emotions, or relate a message from a world beyond perception. "Which?" was suggested by a passage in Hawthorne's Note-books, where he proposes a story or sketch the scene of which is "to be laid within the light of a street lantern; the time, when the lamp is near going out; and the catastrophe to be simultaneous with the last flickering gleam." "The Lady of the Ship" is very nearly historical. "Prisoners of War" rests on the actual adventures of two St.
Ives men, Thomas Williams and John Short, in the years 1804–1814. "Frozen Margit" and "The Seventh Man" have - if not their originals - at least their suggestions in fact.
One of the tales, "Once Aboard the Lugger," is itself a revenant. After writing it in the form here presented, I took advice and gave it another, under the title of "Ia." Yet some whose opinion I value prefer the original, and to satisfy them (though I think them wrong) it is reprinted; not with intent to pad out the volume. But my readers are too generous to need the assurance.
Q.
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Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts
Quiller-Couch
Literature
Preface
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Oceanus
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The Seventh Man
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The room of Mirrors
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A Pair of Hands An Old Maid's Ghost-Story
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The Lady of the Ship
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Frozen Margit
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The Singular Adventure of a small Free-trader
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The Mystery of Joseph Laquedem
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Prisoners of war A Reported Tale of Ardevora
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A Town's Memory A Pendant to the Foregoing
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The Lady of the red Admirals
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The Penance Of John Emmet
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Elisha
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"Once Aboard the Lugger"
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Which
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